the
mighty
dead
by William Campbell Gault
What would it be like to live in a world which has conquered the nearplanets but abolished all literature? Bill Gault gives us a look at aworld like this—in a not too distant future which finds all ourpressure groups united to rule the roost.
On its surface the choice was an easy one—Doak Parker's career inWashington against a highly suspect country girl he had just met.
Doak Parker was thinking of June, when the light flashed. He wasthinking of the two months' campaign and the very probable probabilityof his knocking her off this week-end. It was going to be a conquestto rank among his best. It was going to be....
The buzzer buzzed, the light flashed and the image of Ryder appearedon his small desk-screen. Ryder said, "Come in, Doak. A little job forthe week-end."
No, Doak thought, no, no, no! Not this week-end. Not thisparticular triumphant looming week-end. No! He said, "Be right there,Chief."
Ryder was sitting behind his desk when Doak entered. Ryder was a manof about sixty, with a lined, weary face and a straggling mustache. Henodded at the chair across the desk from him.
Ryder depressed a button on his desk and the screen beyond him beganto glow. Ryder said, "An electronic transcript of a phone call Ireceived this morning from former Senator Elmer Arnold. You know whohe is, I guess, Doak."
"Author of the Arnold Law?" Doak smiled. "Who doesn't?"
Then the image of former Senator Arnold came on the screen. He[Pg 2]didn't look any more than a hundred and ten years old, a withered andthin lipped man with a complexion like ashes. He began to talk.
"Ryder, I guess you know I'm no scatterbrain and I guess you know I'mnot one to cry wolf—but there's something damned funny going onin the old Fisher place on the Range Road. You better send a man downhere, and I mean quick. You have him contact me."
The image faded, the rasping voice ceased. Doak sighed and looked athis nails.
"Senile, you're thinking?" Ryder said quietly.
"I wasn't thinking at all, Chief," Doak said.
"Not even about that new one, that June?" the Chief asked, smiling.
Doak looked up, startled. "Is there no privacy? Are there nosanctuaries?"
"Not from Security," Ryder said. "But don't be disturbed. There's nolaw against that yet excepting some of the old ones—and whohas time for the old ones?"
"As long as we're being frank," Doak said, "he mentioned the oldFisher place and a road as though you should know them. Friends ofyours?"
"Friends? That's our home town. Senator Arnold was very instrumentalin my Department climb." Ryder paused. "And no crackpot."
"I'll buy that," Doak agreed. "He was the man who first saw the powerin combining pressure groups. He surely made some strange bedfellows."
"Any lobbyist would be a strange bedfellow, I've been told," the Chiefanswered. "The Arnold Law has saved us one hell of a lot of work,Doak, and saved the Department money."
"Yes, sir," Doak said. "I'm to understand this couldn't be put offuntil Monday?"
Ryder nodded.
"And no other Security Officer would do?"
"No other."
Doak rose. "Anything else—sir?"
Ryder smiled. "Just one. As a guess, what do you think it is, in theold Fisher place, on the Range Road?"